Jiaoqiu tapped the blade lightly with his fingers—clang! The sound was crisp and resonant, like struck crystal. The metal was without question of the finest steel. He wasn't deeply familiar with the Artisanship Commission's business, but that sound… why did it remind him of footsteps echoing across the deck of a cosmic warship?
Surprise narrowed his eyes to a slit, from which a sharp gleam leaked out.
As a foxian, his hearing and sense of smell far surpassed those of ordinary people—yet at this moment, even he began to doubt his own senses.
Would anyone truly forge a kitchen knife out of such a material? Even with his love for cooking, he would never go this far. In his opinion, a knife that could smash garlic without bending was already a fine knife.
Still puzzled, Jiaoqiu turned the blade sideways for a closer look. The knife's mirror-like surface was so polished it reflected his own face perfectly—and when he looked straight into it, a faint image of a roaring dragon seemed to coil within the steel!
There was no doubt about it—this was a supreme-grade blade, flawless in every respect. One might even say it was the very weapon every chef dreamed of possessing.
"This," Jiaoqiu breathed, "is indeed a masterpiece among blades. The materials, the craftsmanship—both are of the highest tier."
He ran his fingertip ever so gently along the edge, feeling its unnatural keenness.
But instead of delight, his brow furrowed. "To use such metal and such craftsmanship… merely for a kitchen knife—that's extravagance beyond reason."
To Jiaoqiu, even if one forged the most durable, sharpest knife imaginable, what of it? No matter how fine, a kitchen knife was for cutting vegetables. What else could it do—slice a carrot into minced meat?
He shook his head.
With that kind of time and material, one might as well make a dagger—you'd profit more by stabbing a stray mara instead.
A pearl cast before swine, he thought.
"Extravagant? Please." Feixiao flicked her fingers dismissively. "I bought that for one million credits—and I'd call that a bargain."
"One… million?"
Jiaoqiu sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes twitching upward in disbelief.
That much? For something barely bigger than a palm? Was the hull plating of a battleship this pricey?
For that amount, you could buy enough kitchen knives to mince Hoolay into dumpling filling, eat him, wait for him to regrow a body, then mince and eat him again—all the way until your own death!
Surely the general hadn't been scammed by some merchant?
"General, where did you purchase this?" Jiaoqiu asked, forcing a polite tone. "Your subordinate will… pay that seller a visit for a friendly discussion."
He was ready to storm off immediately—though mindful of Feixiao's dignity, he held back from shouting in public.
Yes, the general had wealth and taste, and could buy any luxury she pleased—but being duped was another matter entirely! The commander of the Yaoqing Forces, a warrior who had never once suffered loss even against the Abundance's foul spawn, tricked by a random shopkeeper?
Unthinkable! Did merchants of the Luofu take Yaoqing for fools? How utterly insolent!
"The Curio Trash Can Shop," Feixiao replied with a shrug. "Where else would you get such a perfectly even price?"
At that, Jiaoqiu froze.
"So, it's… a Curio?"
Ah, that explained everything.
If it was a Curio, then of course it had extraordinary effects. Perhaps this was no mere kitchen knife, but a dragon-slaying blade disguised as one.
Thinking of the dragon image within the steel, Jiaoqiu's belief solidified.
Profound silence hides true sound; formlessness conceals true shape. A peerless weapon could very well appear mundane—until the day it roared forth to shake the heavens.
Yes—perfectly reasonable!
Jiaoqiu felt he now understood everything.
But with that understanding came a sudden surge of anxiety.
Here they were, standing in the middle of a crowded street, talking openly about such a thing—what if someone overheard?
The general was too straightforward. A weapon this powerful should be kept secret, hidden away until the critical moment—to strike down an unsuspecting foe in one fatal blow!
Casting a sidelong glance to ensure no eavesdroppers lurked nearby, Jiaoqiu smiled meaningfully. "General, you've returned at the perfect time. I happen to have prepared a small new dish of my own invention. Please, allow me to show you to the kitchen."
"Oh? What a coincidence."
Feixiao looked at him teasingly—a moment ago he'd been lamenting extravagance, and now he was eager to cook with it? What was that phrase again?
Ah, yes—saying no with your mouth, but yes with your heart.
"Let's go then. A change of flavor sounds just right."
Feixiao strode boldly into the residence. Jiaoqiu's cooking was always worth anticipating—even if he had a habit of adding odd herbs and tonics, the taste was invariably unique and delicious.
The two passed through the grand front gate, where ever-blooming flowers and perennial grasses shimmered with vitality. They crossed the front hall, walked through three courtyards, until they reached the innermost compound—the most secret place of the mansion. Only Yaoqing personnel were permitted entry here; not even Luofu's handpicked guards could step foot within.
Passing under the covered walkway, they made straight for the side chamber—their kitchen.
"How was today's haul?"
A cool voice halted them as they passed the main room.
Jingliu slid open the door and stood before them.
It was the fifth day since her revival—her body had fully recovered, and without the torment of the Mara, the killing sharpness around her had softened, replaced instead by the commanding vigor of Luofu's Sword Champion.
"Heh, a most fruitful day," Feixiao said with pride. "One gold Curio, two blue ones!"
Just the mention of it made her grin. The [Resurrection Elixir] she'd acquired could bring even the dead back to life—her Moon Rage was as good as cured. If not for wanting to preserve the full potency, she'd have taken it on the spot.
Another gold Curio?!
Jiaoqiu glanced at the knife in his hand, and his heart swelled with emotion.
He'd assumed anything the general gifted so casually would be, at best, a blue Curio.
But this— this was a gold-tier Curio?!
His eyes went wide, then squeezed shut again.
He swallowed hard, his pulse surging to its peak.
A man dies for one who truly knows his worth!
If curing the general's Moon Rage required his life, he'd give it gladly.
His thoughts flashed to the deepest level of the Shackled Prison, and his grip on the Eternal Spirit Knife tightened.
Hoolay… you'd better not disappoint me.
While Jiaoqiu's imagination raced toward how best to dissect Hoolay, Jingliu blinked, then smiled in admiration.
"The Vanquishing General—invincible not only on the battlefield but also in the marketplace, it seems."
The first gold Curio had gone to Fu Xuan—the [Imagine Breaker]. The second had appeared after nearly eighty barrels.
And Feixiao? Two visits, two golds.
That kind of luck defied envy.
"Well, it's nothing much," Feixiao said modestly—though the corners of her mouth refused to obey, curling upward in delight.
Two ten-rolls, two golds—who wouldn't be thrilled?
"I'm telling you, this Curio—"
"General," Jiaoqiu interrupted swiftly, sensing she was about to spill secrets. "Let's discuss this in the kitchen."
He ushered them toward the side chamber—his carefully prepared workspace, modest in appearance but equipped with the finest soundproofing and vision-blocking arrays.
Feixiao blinked in confusion. Normally, he shared her enthusiasm for that peculiar Curio shop—why the sudden hurry to cook today?
Could his new recipe be even more astonishing than a gold-tier Curio?
Or was he annoyed that she cared more about strange relics than his cuisine?
"Ha! As if." The thought made Feixiao laugh to herself.
That guy couldn't possibly be that childish.
Of course, Jiaoqiu wasn't being childish. His palms were slick with sweat around the Eternal Spirit Knife.
This was a gold Curio personally bestowed by the General! He could hardly wait to test its true effect.
His pace quickened without realizing it, and Feixiao chuckled, shaking her head as she followed.
Only Jingliu trailed behind, puzzled.
Why did it feel like the two of them were thinking about entirely different things? Was it just her imagination?